Feeding device for hat-forming machines



(No Model.) 2- Sheets-Sheet 1.

P. F. POOLE.

FEEDING DEVICE FOR HAT FORMING MAGHINES. No. 556,861. Patented Mar. 24,1896.

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P.-P.P00LB. FEEDING DEVICE FOR HAT FORMING MACHINES. No. 556,861.Patented Mar. 24, 1896'.

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FREDERICK F. POOLE, OF NEIVARK, NEIV JERSEY.

FEEDING DEVICE FOR HAT-FORMING MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 556,861, dated March24, 1896.

Application filed August 1, 1895- Serial No. 557,892. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK F. POOLE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Feeding Devices for Hat-Forming Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to lettersof reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My present invention relates generally to improvements in hat-formin gmachines, and has for its primary object to provide a furfeeding deviceto be used in connection with any of the well-known constructions of batforming machines for depositing successively certain quantities of forset aside for forming the hat-bodies one at atime upon theconductor-board of the machine, which is then conducted in the usualmanner to the formingcone by an air blast from a blower.

The invention therefore consists, broadly, in the arrangement andcombination, with a hat-forming machine, of a device termed aweighing-box, having compartments, in each of which a certain quantityof fur is set aside sufficient to form one hat-body, and means forcausing each compartment to be operated successively, and therebydeposit the fur contained in the compartment upon the conductor-board ofthe machine to be carried ed to the forming-cone on which thehatbody isformed.

The invention consists, furthermore, in certain other arrangements andcombinations of parts and also in the details of construction of thedevice, such as will be hereinafter fully described, and finally setforth in the clauses of the claim.

In hat-forn1i11g machines as now used the fur is first weighed out incertain quantities and then fed and spread by hand upon theconductor-board of the machine. In my invention the fur is simplyarranged or placed in the several compartments of the weighingbox, eachcompartment being of such a size that it cannot hold more than theproper quantity used in making a hat-body, and

when the device is placed in a frame con nected with the hat-formingmachine, preferably at the back of the conductor-board, then eachchamber can be emptied of its contents as required by suitable mechanismoperated by the workman at the front of the machine in charge of theforming-cone, while heretofore a second person was required at the backof the machine for feeding the fur into the same and spreading it outupon the conductor-board.

My invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying sheets ofdrawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form ofhat-formin g machine provided with the feeding device embodying theprinciples of my invention; and Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of themachine with the feeding device represented in horizontal section, saidsection being taken on line 2 2 in Fig. 1 and the Weighing-box beingremoved. Fig. 8 is a longitudinal vertical section of the feeding deviceand weighing-box on an enlarged scale, illustrating the same inconnection with part of the hat-forming machine. Fig. 4 is a front viewof the weighing-box. Fig. 5 is a detail horizontal section taken on line5 5 in Fig. 4, and Fig. 6 is a detail vertical section taken on line 6 6in said Fig. l.

Similar letters of reference are employed in all of the above-describedviews to indicate corresponding parts.

In said views, Figs. 1, 2 and 3 show my novel construction of feedingdevice in connection with one form of hat-forming machine, whichconsists, essentially, of a main frame A, in front of which is a case ortrunk (I, provided with the door or doors a, which surrounds the formercone 1), and against which the fur is conducted from the conductor-boarda by the air-blast from a suitable blower b", which is connected by apipe with the under side of the rotating table, on which the cone isplaced in the usual manner.

As will be seen more especially from Fig. 3, two rollers (1. and a carrya conveying-apron of, which delivers the fur directly between thefeed-rollers (L6 and a to a rotating picker-cylinder aand thence to thebrush-roll a, from which the air-current carries the for to the mouth ofthe casing or trunk a, where it collects upon the forming-cone, as willbe understood. ner, of perforated sheet-copper, and is placed upon therotating table, in the center of which is the opening b (see Fig. 2,)communicating with the exhaust-fan Z), by means of which an air-currentis drawn through the perforations, so that the fur is thus caused to bedeposited on the surface of the cone.

The brush-roll a is operated by a suitable pulley A on the shaftthereof, while the picker-cylinder a is operated by a pulley A The lowerfeedroll, a, is operated by a pulleywheel A on its shaft andcommunicates motion by means of a gear-wheel c meshing with a gear 0 tothe upper feed-roll, 0, A gearwheel 0" in mesh with the gear 0 actuatesa gear-wheel 0'' connected with the shaft of the apron-carrying roll ato operate the latter and its conveying-apron a. All the shafts rotatein suitable bearings, substantially as shown.

Between the two rolls a and a I have arranged a suitable partition orbase-board a as will be seen from Fig. 3.

The several parts of the machine just described are old, per se, beingemployed in connection with most any of the well-known forms ofhat-formin g machine.

As will be seen from said Fig. 3, I have arranged above theconveying-apron a of the machine a second apron (Z, which passes overthe rolls cl and (Z Directly in front of the roller (2 is a second pairof feed-rollers (Z and (l and in front of these is a picker-cylinder (Zwhich conveys the fur to the conveyingapron (L as will be clearlyunderstood from an inspection of Fig. 3.

Above the apron (Z I have arranged a suitably-inclined board (1. d isoperated by a pulley A, while the axle of the lower feed-roller (Z isoperated by a stepped pulley A, which is connected by a belt A with thestepped pulley A on the axle of the feed-roller a, substantially asshown.

A gear-wheel c on the shaft carrying the feed-roll (Z is in operativemesh with a gear 0 on the shaft of the roll (1". A gear-wheel c in meshwith the gear 0 actuates a gearwheel a connected with the shaft of theaproncarrying roller (1. The shafts of these several parts ofconstruction just described rotate in suitable bearings, substantiallyas illustrated in Figs; 1 and 2.

The feed-rollers a and 0- as well as the feed-rollers d and (P, arecontrolled by means of the usual forms of weight-arms h and h,respectively, each carrying a suitable weight 71/ as will be clearlyseen from Fig. 1. Above the feed-roll a l have arranged a partition f,and over the feed-roll (Z is a second partition f. Resting upon saidpartitions is a suitable boxf having a screen cover f in the topthereof. These parts are detachably secured to enable the operator toget at the several parts of the machine for cleaning or removingobstructions.

At the back of the machine are two uprights The cone 1) is made in theusual man The picker-cylinder g connected at the top by a cross piece orbar 9.

The weighing-box E, containing the fur. rests in an offset in across-piece g, in which it is held by a locking-button g or othersuitable means, and said box is also held at the top in a similarcross-piece g by a button y) or other like means. Said weighing-box Eclosed at the back e and has the two sides 6'. being entirely open atthe front.

Pivotally secured to the back 6 by means of suitable hinges i arepartitions or boards 6 of which there are usually twelve; but any otherdesirable number of such boards may be used. hen said boards are intheir horizontal positions, (indicated in Figs. 3 and i. they formcertain compartments E E, in which the fur in s ufficient quantity tomake a hat-body is arranged. Secured to the front edge of said sides aof the box E are certain holding catches a made of spring metal. againstwhich a plate 6 on the under side or each board 6 is brought in slidingcontact when the board is raised, to permit the upper edge of the catch6 to spring under the plate 6 on the board 6 and thereby hold the latterin its raised position, as will be clearly understood from an inspectionof Fig. 6. To cause said boards e to drop from their horizontalpositions (indicated in Fig. 3) to the inclined positions indicated indotted outline in said Fig. 3, I have secured. to one of said uprights gof the framework of the hat-forming machine certain plates or bars Zhaving the arms Z connected thereto by suitable hinges Z as clearlyshown. Each arm Z has attached thereto a spring Z which is alsoconnected with the upright g, and the free end Z of each arm Z is inoperative frictional engagement with the back of the springcatches a, asclearly represented in Figs. 4 and 5. Each arm Z has also securedthereto a pull-rod L or other suitable operating means, provided at thefront with a ring or fingenpiece by means of which the front ends of therods can be held in position on suitable hooks j on the post j forconvenient handling by the operator. Now,when all the compartments inthe weighing-box E have been filled with the proper quantity of fur andthe box is placed in position between the uprights g of the machine,then the arms Z are in their normal engagement back of the respectivespringplates 6 as clearly shown in Fig. 5. As soon as the workman startsthe machine he pulls the lowest rod 70, thereby bringing the arm Z tothe dot-ted position indicated in Fig. 5. This causes the disengagementof the catch 6 with the plate e on the board 6 and allows the said boardto drop to the position indicated in dotted outline in Fig. 3, and thefur in the lowest compartment will be spread upon the apron cl, acrossthe entire width thereof. from which it immediately passes through thefeed-rolls d and d upon the picker-cylinder d and upon the apron a tothe other parts of the machine, and finally to the forming-cone, in themanner as has been hereinabove fully described.

hen the lower rod 76 is released by the operator, the spring Z",connected with the arm 1*, causes the return of the latter to its normalposition, while the lowest boarde rem a-ius in its dropped position.

\Vhen the fur has been deposited upon the cone, which is very rapidlydone, said cone is removed and replaced by a second cone. The workmannow pulls on the next higher rod 7t, and thereby operates the nexthigher board e of the weighing-box E in the manner just described,causing the fur to be spread over the entire width of the apron, to befinally collected upon the cone, and so on. The different boards 8 areoperated successively by the different rods is connected therewith.

To prevent the fur from dropping upon the cover f and the screencovering f thereon, l have secured in front of said weighing-box asuitable curtain inor other covering, as will be seen from said Fig. 3.

The various combinations and arrangements above described produce apractical and operative machine, the operation being substantially thatof a person feeding the furat intervals into the machine and upon theconductor-board, thereby resulting in a great saving of labor and time.

Of course it will be evident that many changes may be made in thedetails of con struction without departing from the scope of my presentinvention. Hence I do not limit my invention to the exact arrangementsand combinations of the parts herein shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. The combination,with the mechanism of a hat-forming machine, of a weighing-box removablyarranged on the frame of the machine, and mechanism connected with saidweighing-box and operating to deposit the for in said box into theforming-machine, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination, with the mechanism of a hat-forming machine, of aweighing-box arranged on the frame of the machine, and havingcompartments therein, and means connected with each compartment,operating to separately deposit the fur in said compartments into theforming-machine, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination, with the mechanism of a hat forming machine, of aweighing-box arranged on the frame of the machine, and provided withpivoted boards 6 and means connected therewith for normally retainingsaid boards in horizontal positions to form compartments, and mechanismconnected with each compartment, operating to deposit the fur in saidcompartments into the forming-machine, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

i. The combination, with the mechanism of a hat-forming machine, of aweighing-box arraugedon the frame of the machine, and provided withpivoted boards e and catch plates a for normally retaining said boardsin the machine, and mechanism connected with said box and operating todeposit the fur in said box, upon the apron d, substantially as and forthe purposes set forth.

6. In combination, with the mechanism of a hat-forming machine, aconveyer-apron cl, a pair of feed-rolls d and (P, a picking-cylinder (1a weighing-box arranged on the frame of the machine, pivoted boards e insaid box, and means connected therewith for normally retaining saidboards in horizontal positions to form compartments, and mechanismconnected with each compartment, operating to deposit the fur in saidcompartments into the forming-machine, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

'7. In combination, with the mechanism of a hat-forming machine, aconveyer-apron d, a pair of feed-rolls d and (I a picking-cylinder d aweighing-box arranged on the frame of the machine, pivoted boards e insaid boX, catch-plates e for normally retaining said boards inhorizontal positions to form compartments, and mechanism connected witheach compartment, operating to deposit the fur in said compartments intothe forming machine, consisting, essentially, of pivoted andspring-actuated arms in normal engagement with said catch-plates, and apull-rod connected with each arm, substantially as and for the purposesset forth.

8. The herein-described weighing-box, consisting, essentially, of a backboard 6 and sides 6, hinged boards e and means on one of said sides 6for retaining said boards e normally in horizontal positions to formcompartments, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

9. The herein-described weighing-box, consisting, essentially, of a backboard 6 and sides 6, hinged boards 6 and catch-plates e on one of saidsides 6 for retaining said boards normally in horizontal positions toform compartments, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

10. The herein-described weighing-box,co11- sistin g, essentially, of aback board 6 and sides 2, hinged boards c and means on one of said sidesa for retaining said boards e normally in horizontal positions to formcompartments, in combination, with an upright,

cured thereto and in normal engagement with said spring-catches, and apull-rod connected with each of said arms, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the invention set forth above I have hereuntoset my hand this 31st day of July, 1895.

FREDERICK F. POOLE.

IVitnesses:

FREDKZC. FRAENTZEL, WM. H. OAMFIELD, J r.

